Lestocq Robert Erskine (6 September 1857 – 29 May 1916) was a Scottish

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

player who was active during the first years after the introduction of lawn tennis. He was also a

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

politician.

Career

Erskine was one of the 21 players that took part in the inaugural

1877 Wimbledon Championship The 1877 Wimbledon Championship was a men's tennis tournament held at the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club (AEC & LTC) in Wimbledon, London. It was the world's first official lawn tennis tournament, and was later recognised as the fir ...

singles competition. In the first round he defeated H. Wheeler in straight sets. In the second round he played against J. Lambert who became the first player in Wimbledon history to retire a match, conceding to Erskine after losing the first two sets. Erskine lost in the quarterfinal to William Marshall in three straight sets. The following year, 1878, he again entered the singles event and reached the final of the All-Comers tournament. After a win over A.W. Nicholson in the first round, a bye in the second, a win over F.W. Porter in the third round he reached the quarterfinal in which he defeated C.G. Hamilton in a five-set match. In the semifinal he won against future Wimbledon champion

Herbert Lawford Herbert Fortescue Lawford (15 May 1851 – 20 April 1925) was a former world No. 1 tennis player from Scotland who won the Men's Singles championship at Wimbledon in 1887, and was runner-up a record 5 times (shared with Arthur Gore). Career ...

but lost the All-Comers final in straight sets to

Frank Hadow Patrick Francis "Frank" Hadow (2 January 1855 – 29 June 1946) was an English tennis player, who won the Wimbledon championship in 1878. Personal life Born 2 January 1855 Regent's Park, his father was Patrick Douglas Hadow who was educated at ...

who would defeat Spencer Gore in the Challenge round to win the title. In 1879 he was a finalist at the

Grand National Lawn Tennis Tournament The Grand National Lawn Tennis Tournament was an early Victorian era outdoor grass court tennis tournament staged only one time between June and July 1879 at The Hyde, Hendon, Middlesex, England. History The Grand National Tennis Tournament was ...

Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the Borough of Barnet, North-West London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has been part of Great ...

, the same year was his last Wimbledon appearance when he reached the second round, after a first-round victory over F.W. Porter, in which he lost to eventual champion John Hartley.

Doubles

Erskine won the first major men's doubles tennis tournament, the Oxford University Men's Doubles Championship, in May 1879 partnering

. This event was a precursor to the Wimbledon men's doubles championship, introduced in 1884, and was played over the best of seven sets ending in a score of 4–6, 6–4, 6–5, 6–2, 3–6, 5–6, 7–5.

Politics

Erskine stood for parliament at the 1906 General Election as

candidate for

Horsham Horsham is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...

. He came second.British Parliamentary Election Results 1885-1918, FWS Craig

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Erskine, Lestocq Robert 1857 births 1916 deaths Sportspeople from Edinburgh Liberal Party (UK) parliamentary candidates British sportsperson-politicians Scottish male tennis players British male tennis players